100 Women We Love: Class of 2011

“I think we all feel like outsiders. Part of us feels like we really don’t fit in anywhere, and I think that’s great. That part of us should be celebrated,” says kd lang, an icon of the LGBT community and one of the most moving singers and performers of our time. lang recently celebrated the 25th anniversary of her recording debut and the release of her newest album, Sing it Loud. Co-produced with Joe Pisapia, and supported by her hand-picked band Siss Boom Bang, Sing it Loud marks lang’s return to her “cow punk” country roots—a road the four-time Grammy and eight-time Juno Award-winner says she’s been yearning to take again. “I love going where I’m not supposed to go. I love being the underdog, I’ve always loved being the underdog. I love feeling like I’m starting at square zero again,” she says. “I thrive on it.” –CM